Rina
“Get me a strawberry shake?” Smacking her lips, she said before going back to munching on some formidable amount of food in her mouth. There was still a good half plate of food before her. And my chuckle met a glare.
“Alright, alright.” Leaving the bag, I walked over to the counter. It was a little late but the rush hour of the place hadn’t worn out yet.
“Pilaf and ...umm, some celery sticks.” I didn’t have a hard time choosing my lunch. I’d always like Eastern dishes. “And milk. And a strawberry shake, please.” Faster done than said, the plate was in front of me in like three seconds.
With a glass in one hand and a tray in other, I wobbled back to Liz. And on the way, the noisiest table in the room caught my eye.
Nicole studying here had also been a reason but Jen let me go to this school mainly because it’s known to be free of bullying. This being so and over the last year of homeschooling I’d received, I was starting to grow out of my habit of not making eyes contact with people who I think would turn out to be bullies; including ‘the noisiest tables in the cafeteria’.
Hence an accidental glance went their way and my eyes didn’t fail to notice Derek in the midst of them. Just as immediately, I set my gaze back on my track again. Strangely, I didn’t feel anything seeing him among those who I’d easily categorize as bullies. His persona seems to fit the type, which I was pretty sure wasn’t the case.
Though, I did feel like I was forgetting something. Something that had something to do with him. Though, of course, I wasn’t going there and ask him.
Liz grasped the glass as I sat it down on the table and sat down myself.
“What did the coach say?” she said taking a swig from the glass as I began eating.
I shook my head.
“No? he snubbed you, or you didn’t go there?” She asked, her lips sealed to the pipe. I admire her capability of multi-tasking. I really do.
“We didn’t see him. He wasn’t there.” I explained, swallowing hard. “Not now, Liz. I’ll tell you later.”
“Someone’s hungry,” said … someone? I had to stop my lunch again to find Derek looking down at me. But not just him, his whole gang!
“H… hi.” I stuttered, half from the state he caught me in and half from the attention his buddies were giving us. But at that same moment, that which had been slipping my mind earlier finally reappeared.
“Hey, uhh, I forgot your shirt.” That raised a few chuckles from his buddies. And when the joke surfaced, so did the blood on my cheeks.
“It’s okay.” He reassured me then apparently seeing my discomfort, said, “I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
I gave him a nod, which he replied with that smile of his. And then they left. Looking at his back, I couldn’t help but muse that this guy would really look dashing if he dressed up just half as much as his friends. Not that he doesn’t already, but…
“And here I was, trying to get you a boyfriend!”
“Will you keep it down?!” I exclaimed but she sat unfazed.
“Why do I always have to find out myself about your boy friends? I mean, Steve, Nik, and now this guy. Thank god I had the honor of introducing Ian to you.”
When did she start calling her Nik? “Nicole isn’t a guy. And I was gonna tell you about him.”
“Please and also about that shirt of his you forgot.”
“That’s Bella’s brother?”
Nodding, I mumbled an Mmm.
“How’d you find out?” A shade of a grin appeared on her curious face.
Putting the spoon down, I answered. This girl just can’t wait. But I admit, I wanted to share that experience too. “The hard way! I called her that right in front of him. And explained the reason, to boot.” Her grin was ready to burst.
“The bastard didn’t even tell me she’s his sister.” It was kinda funny, when you think about it. “Not until she walked right up to us and the introductions began.”
“Did she remember you?” she asked, laughing.
“Who wouldn’t?”
Chagrin got mixed into her grin. At least, she knew the reach of her opinions. “But she didn’t tell you off or anything, right? Cause’ I’m gonna…”
“No, no. She’s quite nice, actually. She even asked after you.”
“Really?” Like a little kid, she pouted out her bottom lip as if in a deep thinking state and began nodding in slight shakes. It was adorable.
“Where’s Steve, anyway?”
“Probably at the studio now. He left just before you got here.” I nodded. I haven’t seen him all morning. “I … uhh,….”
Watching her look turn to a serious one, I waited for her to continue, having another spoonful of fried rice.
“… talked to hm.” She continued. “He said he went straight home after you went in.” A sigh betrayed me and the food turned to ash in my mouth. “Do you remember anything else?”
I shook my head while I felt another deeper sight leave me, along with my appetite. “To be honest, I don’t’ know what I should be looking for in the first place.”
She sighed and her hand came to take mine. “Don’t worry, Rea. You’re not alone in this.” A slight but trusting nod went her way and she returned a smile. “Now, eat. Don’t make me feel sorry I brought it up.”
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Nicole
But what was she gonna say? That she wasn’t the made-up Samantha or that she wasn’t my girlfriend, which was the ‘truer’ truth?
That was why I cut her off. I didn’t want him to know that she wasn’t mine. But I don’t want him, or anyone for that matter, trying anything on her.
“Ms. Taylor.”
“Huh?”
“You seemed so absorbed. Care to share you thoughts with the class?” She crooned, mischievously. But was I in trouble?
“I was thinking …,” Far from it! “… maybe we should inverse the sign of the whole equation. That’d make it easier to take out L, you know after some adding and individual negations .” Maths had failed me my last junior year. So no wonder it became something I live and breathe this year. Besides, I kinda got this problem by rote.
Surprise took over mockery in her eyes. “That was ... just what I was talking about?” She said, looking back at the board.
Now, I’m not saying she isn’t good at this. She in fact probably knows this subject better than the teacher she’s substituting.
“But the whole point is of this problem is to get T which without L seems impossible to find. But that’s the solution we have to solve our way through to, class. Terrific work, Nicole. Keep it up.”
She walked back to the front and kept on with the problem when I gave the room another searching glance. Nope, she wasn’t here, nor still Chloe.
But Steve was. This is the second time in this week I’ve tried to avoid him; this time in fear of him digging up my reaction last night. But then again, he most probably would’ve met Rina and asked her.
It was nothing actually when you give it an actual thinking. We were just having dinner together when he called. That would exactly be what he’d have heard from her. But still, guilt didn’t fail to have me on my toes.
I felt my bag vibrated but I wasn’t even sure when I fished my handy out. But there really was a message.
“not bad. at least you wont fail by maths this term” And the sender ID surprised me. At first, I was gonna ignore him but then thought there was no point. Besides I was curious.
“sinc whn did u strt msgin ppl in clas?”
His reply was almost immediate. I chuckled at how he was acting like a little kid who’d found a new toy.
“since u became such a genius in this bore” I stopped as I noticed the teacher’s voice had died down. But she’d just started writing stuff on the board. I was going to type but Steve apparently couldn’t wait.
“what happened last night?”
“stop typin evry lttr. LEARN”
“don’t change the subject”
“nothin” I hit send and shoved the phone back in the bag. My glance went his way and met his.
What the hell was he grinning about?
“Cuttings, Taylor!” Coach’s frustration filled the air, “the routine is to pass the ball, not the time.” He got ear-wide grins from both Jeremy and me before he gave us another warning look and turned away. Of course, as soon as he did, the ‘routine’ resumed.
“I don’t know, man. Coach’s pretty serious about this one.” I said, telling the truth, well half of it.
“When isn’t he? And since when have you cared?”
“Well to be honest, I wanna play in that game and my chances would take a blow if word gets out about me going there.”
“Come on, Nik….”
“Let her be, she’ll come around.” Adam piped in. “Anyway, have you heard? Shane’s here.”
My heart rate spiked. Not because of affections, mind you. “Are you sure?”
“Well, not here in this school, of course. But Jared said he saw him yesterday at the AXIS.”
“What’s he doing here?” Jeremy asked, equally surprised.
“I don’t know. For the party, I guess.” Adam opined. I just listened while the two of them went on with the conversation.
“Of course, definitely for the party. It’s still too early for the game.” Jeremy affirmed, then said to me. “All the more reason for you to go.”
Heh, all the more reason not to. I want nothing to do with that guy off the pitch.
“Three’s a company, I see.” Busted! I thought as Coach warned from a distance, “You keep up this ‘good work’ when you come back after the break, you’ll be doing Philippe a huge favor closing up the place for him.”
Just what I needed to hear. Break!
We were already set off when he yelled, “Break, 10 minutes!”
Weighing the device in my hand which I’d been doing for the last three minutes, I sat still indecisive if I should call her. I wouldn’t have been doing much thinking if I was trying to shag her but to call someone because I was worried was something I hadn’t done in a long time.
But truth is, I was worried.
But before my thumb could graze over Chloe’s on the screen, the phone buzzed; an unknown number. But it wasn’t that kind of unknown that calls for the first time. It was that one that I didn’t bother adding to my contacts.
But the irony was, I still remembered who was calling just by the number.
“You there?” A lot of noises, chatters and such, burst in the speaker even before her voice did. And I noticed it didn’t have that usual cocky edge.
“Yeah.”
“So you home?” Please, don’t be there.
“School. Practice.”
She chuckled. What, did it sound childish? I was trying to be ‘curt and cruel’.
“Why are you call…” “I just call…”
We both started at the same time and stopped that way but none of us laughed. She continued after a few seconds of hiatus.
“I’m leaving.” She paused a little before going on, “Guess I can’t keep my word this time, again.” She must be referring to what she said that night when she caught me with Rina. Was it a promise?
I didn’t say anything back, though. Why should I? This is what she’s best at, anyway; un-keeping promises and running away.
Another moment of silence. But this time it was me who broke it.
“Yeah, listen. I gotta go. And I think it’s better if this is the last time we spoke, Margaret.”
“Margaret?” I thought I was past caring whatever she felt. I was wrong. But I don’t think I was to blame. After all, she was my first love, and I used to be ready to give anything for her. Used to.
I didn’t hold back the sigh. I needed her to know it’s not easy for me too. But we have to let go of whatever we had; still have. “Safe travels, Mags. Goodbye.”
“Yeah, bye. I promise you won’t ever see me again.” There was that cocky voice again. “But hey, you know how I am with promises.”
I didn’t give her a reply. But I didn’t hang up either.
But apparently, she didn’t know that I hadn’t.
Her sigh greeted my waiting ears first before her said, “Goodbye, Nikki.” Then I heard what’d probably be a deep breath sucked in, and finally a click.
Goodbye, Mags.
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Me; Okay, four things.
#1. I just realized, reading this story again, that I’d made an Ultra Multi-polar girl out of Nik. From Chapter 12 to 19, she showed a lot of emotions for Rina and the chaps covered only a little more than 24 hours. It felt longer writing it, it really did.
#2. I’ve finally got a cast for the characters. It’s not coming too soon, though. Letting you know too early would give away everything. And why the cast list would be a spoiler? You’ll see, if you remember little things in the earlier texts. XD
#3. I edited something in Chap 11. It’d seemed like a trifle but it seriously goes against the plot of the whole story. I’m sorry I made that mistake. Anyway, it’s been righted. You don’t have to read back, though. It’s not that important a fact, I mean, in that chapter.
#4. And the next turn in the story would show how far I’d planned to drag this story. Mind you, this was all laid out since I wrote down the first letter for the prologue. So I just hope you have the patience to stick with me. Please, do have it. I won’t disappoint you. I’ve done that long enough over now 85 pages of just building things up.
PS: I don’t say I won’t let you down, a lot. But when I say it, I do mean it. And that maths stuff Nik was blathering about, you all know that was crap, right? Right?
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